David Cameron: selfie craze makes campaigning 'take a lot longer'

Forget kissing babies — now politicians merely have to pose for a selfie to show they have the common touch.

Except, as David Cameron found while canvassing on the streets of Harrow, there are an awful lot more smartphones than infants.

The Prime Minister has revealed how the selfie craze is putting extra pressure on his campaign schedule.

“That was the most ‘selfie’ walkabout I’ve ever done,” he admitted to the Evening Standard at the end of a visit to Harrow town centre, where he was mobbed by more than 100 people waving phones and cameras

The Prime Minister poses for yet another selfie

“You can be walking down the street for a chat, but until you’ve got the selfie out of the way people aren’t ready to talk,” added. “Not only do they want a photograph but they want to actually take it themselves, thanks to the new technology.”

Mr Cameron, who cheerfully posed with dozens of prospective voters, said he did not mind at all. But he admitted: “It makes things take a lot longer.”

And he was rueful about a selfie taken last week with student Becky Smith in a Nando’s restaurant, which went viral thanks to her surprised expression which gave the false impression that her bottom was being pinched.

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Mr Cameron said: “She asked for the selfie, I smiled and she made that face. It did look as if I had ... err.” Yesterday’s Harrow trip was he first joint campaign tour by Mr Cameron and Mayor of London Boris Johnson.

The day began with the pair finding a woman collapsed in the street. Mr Cameron reportedly held her hand while they waited for medical help to arrive, although No.10 officials cast doubt on the detail.

Paramedic Dominic Stark, who attended the scene, said: “When I arrived a few minutes later, I found the PM holding the woman’s hand.

“I took over caring for the patient and they left a few minutes later.”

Returning by Tube to Downing Street, Mr Cameron described the London elections as “absolutely key” to his hopes to rebuffing Ed Miliband’s challenge.

“It makes a lot of difference to the level of services they get and the bills that they pay to have hard-working Conservative councillors running their councils,” he claimed.

He said he worked closely with the Mayor. “Many of the issues that have needed solving like transport and housing have been about central government and the Mayor working together.”

Mr Johnson joked that he had made a “sporting gesture” by scoring an own goal in a game of table football with students at Harrow Skills Centre.

“We were one goal up and I thought we shouldn’t win by too much,” claimed the Mayor. “You’ve got to understand it was sportsmanship. But I set up most of the goals.”

Mr Cameron repeated his hope that Mr Johnson will return to Westminster as an MP. “I know he wants to complete his term. I hope he will also, though, be returning to the House of Commons and be one of the players on the pitch.”

Speculation is rife that Mr Johnson, whose second term at City Hall runs out in 2016, will stand for parliament next May.